1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of fiber reinforced metal matrix composites and specifically to hydrided metal alloys that enhance mechanical properties of the composite without deleterious chemical reactions at the interface thereof.
2. Prior Art
In the past, the fabrication of the metal matrix composite usually involves pressing filaments and matrix metals together at a relatively high temperature for a set period of time to achieve proper consolidation and bonding.
However, the properties obtained from the fabricated composites were usually less than the theoretical predictions based on the principle of rule of mixtures.
It is well established that the excessive reactions that occurred between the fiber and the matrix metal were the major reason for composites not achieving the predicted theoretical properties. Such reactions would usually form compounds at the interface between filament and matrix metal, and were detrimental to the desired composite properties. Accordingly, it was deemed desirable to find a method of minimizing such reactions to permit the composites to achieve the mechanical property values predicted by theory.